Mixing techniques?

Smiley Man · 22 Nov 2006 at 15:42

hi guys

i know there are a fair few DJs on here so could you be persuaded to share your mixing techniques?

the only ones i know are the smooth fade (EQ's up and down smoothly), bass switch (Hi and med gradually, swap the bass at the beginning of a phase) and the spinback

here's a recording of a bass switch ive done CLICK and imo it doesnt sound that good, where am i going wrong? any tips etc much appreciated (the tunes are in key so its just my mixing)

my mixer only has low and hi EQ knobs though

(not for long

)

is anyone willing to share their mixing techniques, maybe with a few examples?

yes i use traktor but its all i cant afford anything else at the moment

4T5 · 22 Nov 2006 at 15:49

You dropped a beat at 55 seconds but that happens.
the reason it doesn't sound right is because you have your up beats mixed up with your down beats.
Hard to explain but i will try.
Q up a track on its on with no drive at all. Push the first beat forward, what you hear is the second beat Not the first.
Drag it back over the first beat then release then you will hear the First up beat.
matching up beats makes for perfect mixes.
Also you are not being accurate enouth with tracking your beats that is why they are sounding fat and distorted. this is caused by both the beats spreading.
Match upbeats and you cannot go wrong as long as you have the confidence to touch the decks to restore accurate mixing.

Does that make sense to you as it wouldn't if i read it.

krooton · 22 Nov 2006 at 15:52

I can never explain my usual technique in text properly, have to show physically

Smiley Man · 22 Nov 2006 at 15:55

malc30 said:
You dropped a beat at 55 seconds but that happens.
the reason it doesn't sound right is because you have your up beats mixed up with your down beats.
Hard to explain but i will try.
Q up a track on its on with no drive at all. Push the first beat forward, what you hear is the second beat Not the first.
Drag it back over the first beat then release then you will hear the First up beat.
matching up beats makes for perfect mixes.
Also you are not being accurate enouth with tracking your beats that is why they are sounding fat and distorted. this is caused by both the beats spreading.
Match upbeats and you cannot go wrong as long as you have the confidence to touch the decks to restore accurate mixing.

Does that make sense to you as it wouldn't if i read it.

ive glanced over that and it sort of makes sence - do you mean >>4/4 syncopation or whatever its called?

the new beat is supposed to drop in at 1:01 :confused:

all the advice much appreciated guys i just wanna make it sound better

IceAx · 22 Nov 2006 at 15:59

krooton said:
I can never explain my usual technique in text properly, have to show physically

Im with this answer im afraid. Its like asking a painter to write a book :s

You just have a feel and know when its right.

Andy

Smiley Man · 22 Nov 2006 at 16:14

ah - malc, do you mean syncopated bar mixing? so if each track has a 2 bar (8 beat loop) you drop track 2's 2 bar loop in after the first bar of track 1's 2 bar loop?

4T5 · 22 Nov 2006 at 16:15

Basically you run back over the first beat then when you release you have the first Upbeat.
Best way to learn is with 2 of the same tunes. Then you can mess about with the beats and notice the difference between and upbeat and a downbeat.
Start one tune just by letting it go then the second by dragging back over the first beat and creating a second then releasing.
You should notice that although they are in time and the bass beats match they sound muddled.
When you here this just touch back one beat with your finger dragging the disc and it will drop in perfect.
Once you can identify the upbeat you have identified every starter point for mixing there is no matter who what where.

Smiley Man · 22 Nov 2006 at 16:17

malc30 said:
Basically you run back over the first beat then when you release you have the first Upbeat.
Best way to learn is with 2 of the same tunes. Then you can mess about with the beats and notice the difference between and upbeat and a downbeat.
Start one tune just by letting it go then the second by dragging back over the first beat and creating a second then releasing.
You should notice that although they are in time and the bass beats match they sound muddled.
When you here this just touch back one beat with your finger dragging the disc and it will drop in perfect.
Once you can identify the upbeat you have identified every starter point for mixing there is no matter who what where.

so its like this

track 1 - 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
track 2 - 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3

etc?

wouldnt that just sound horrible?

*runs off to try it anyway

*

IceAx · 22 Nov 2006 at 16:55

they way i take what malc is saying

1 = up
2 = down

1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1

Although in time they sound "messy"

1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2

In time and sound "tight"

Andy

IceAx · 22 Nov 2006 at 16:55

If your applying it to 4 beats make sure the odds and evens match

Andy

4T5 · 22 Nov 2006 at 16:56

^^ Exactly.

I think

Wish i was there mate i would show you.

IceAx · 22 Nov 2006 at 16:58

hehe its hard to explain, i know what you mean thou malc

Andy

Smiley Man · 22 Nov 2006 at 17:19

andy - are the 1's and 2's bars or beats? ricky's been trying to explain to me for ages

but i need someone here really

IceAx · 22 Nov 2006 at 18:13

beats, lets do it with 4 then:

1+3 are up
2+4 are down

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3

In time but messy

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

In time and "tight"

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2

In time and "tight"

Hope that helps in some way :S

Andy

Liquid_Entity · 22 Nov 2006 at 18:28

-=BAF=-AXE said:
beats, lets do it with 4 then:

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2

Andy

I re-read what I wrote and came to a strange conclusion. Never mind.

IceAx · 22 Nov 2006 at 18:30

Agreed, but in some instances you can get away with it when needed

9 times outta 10 it should always be the standard 1,2,3,4 over 1,2,3,4

Andy

Smiley Man · 22 Nov 2006 at 18:40

Liquid_Entity said:
I re-read what I wrote and came to a strange conclusion. Never mind.

it looked wrong to me too but it does seem to work sometimes

sneakyd · 23 Nov 2006 at 11:30

Nice for adding a break or to into the build up of a track. I usually do it with a beats track and the vocal version of the same track.

krooton · 23 Nov 2006 at 13:23

I can without a shadow of a doubt say that if you are mixing trance or house, the first beat of a bar should always be cued with the first beat of the other tracks bar.

Which bar you cue on is a different matter, trance tends to have 32 beats per bar, but can be from 16-64 in some cases.

Funky house tends to be around 16 beats per bar.

The first beat of a bar is often found to have some sort of percussive marker, like a cymbal crash.

Liquid_Entity · 23 Nov 2006 at 15:04

krooton said:
I can without a shadow of a doubt say that if you are mixing trance or house, the first beat of a bar should always be cued with the first beat of the other tracks bar.

Which bar you cue on is a different matter, trance tends to have 32 beats per bar, but can be from 16-64 in some cases.

Funky house tends to be around 16 beats per bar.

The first beat of a bar is often found to have some sort of percussive marker, like a cymbal crash.

Oh noes, thats where I been going wrong all these years, I been counting to 6 and then letting go on 7